


Stray Thoughts

by NextTrickAnvils



Category: Persona 5
Genre: It's nowhere near as poetic as the summary makes it sound, M/M, Ryukita Week 2k19, pov switching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-05 07:06:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17320295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NextTrickAnvils/pseuds/NextTrickAnvils
Summary: It started with a stray thought.Two boys start to realize their true feelings.





	Stray Thoughts

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 6 of Ryukita Week. The theme is: Desire

It started with a stray thought.

 

_His hair looks soft…_

 

Ryuji immediately shook that thought out of his head because what!?

 

No seriously, what? Where did that come from!?

 

Okay... obviously… Ryuji’s just… bored. That’s it. He felt bored during the subway ride, looked at Yusuke, and had a weird random thought. He probably would have had a similar thought if he was looking at Ann or Akira. ~~No he wouldn’t.~~  Besides it’s not Ryuji wanted to like… run his fingers through his teammate’s hair or anything.

 

~~Though now that the thought was in his head...~~

 

* * *

 

For Yusuke, it also started with a stray thought.

 

When Ryuji came to the Hideout, wearing a rather loose sleeveless shirt, Yusuke couldn’t help but stare the blonde’s arms. With Ryuji’s background as a former runner, his most prominent feature would be his legs but clearly Ryuji hasn’t neglected his upper body and arms.

 

_What would it be like to touch…_

 

Yusuke caught himself and buried the thought. No. Even in thoughts, he should not be violating his teammate’s personal space. Especially after his abhorrent behavior to Ann in their initial meeting.

 

~~He still found his eyes wandering even after they entered the Metaverse~~

 

* * *

 

“Now! Let us strike!”

 

Ryuji grins as he, Akira, Yusuke, and Makoto leap into action. This was honestly one of the best parts of the whole Phantom Thief thing, kicking ass with his friends. Once the shadows start looking weak, Ryuji launches a mazio. It doesn’t take them out but as they’re trying to stand up after getting fried, Yusuke pulls off some move straight out of some old samurai movie.

 

He strikes a post (because of course he does) as they fade away.

 

“And the curtain falls.”

 

Ryuji finds himself short of breath with a fluttering feeling in his chest…

 

...Shit…

 

* * *

 

It’s the middle of the night when Yusuke awakens and is struck with inspiration.

 

He rushes to set up the canvas and paints, afraid that at any moment he’ll lose the inspiring spark of his dream. He mixes blacks and reds and yellows along with blues of varying shades.

 

An unknown amount of time passes as the painting begins to take shape. It’s more abstract though perhaps it is fitting given the inspiration is from a dream. Though he can’t remember more specific details, Yusuke can recall the feelings of the dream.

 

Contentment… and desire.

 

He begins to add in the other colors and there’s a different energy to them. They should not painted as smoothly as the blues, they needed to be quick and striking like… like...

 

“...Lightning” Yusuke whispers in realization.

 

* * *

 

Ryuji could deal with being attracted to a guy. Took him a while to accept that part of himself and it’s not like he’d shout it on the rooftops but he still accepted it.

 

But Yusuke? Yusuke!?

 

Sure he liked the guy enough to be his friend but…

 

What if this was just a physical thing? Nothing against those kinda relationships but Yusuke deserved more than just a friends with benefits thing. They don’t really hang out without the others, maybe he should try to get to know Yusuke better and ask him…

 

...Ask him out… **DUH**!

 

Before he could somehow convince himself to chicken out, Ryuji grabs his phone from his dresser and sends Yusuke a text.

 

 **RYUJI:** Hey dude! I don’t got anything to do today, you wanna go out for some ramen or beef bowls?

 

He placed the phone down and started to read one of the various manga volumes on his shelf. Yusuke might be too busy to reply right away and he was one of the slower texters in the group so an answer might take a while.

 

Ryuji was about half-way through the second chapter when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He quickly pulled it out and read Yusuke’s reply.

 

 **YUSUKE:** I have nothing else planned. When and where shall we meet?

 

* * *

 

They meet at a ramen shop in Ogikubo and Ryuji insists on paying for them both. The ramen itself is well done and Yusuke can’t help but praise it in his own typical fashion.

 

“Geez dude, I love the ramen here too but I think that might be a bit much.” Ryuji remarked with a laugh

 

“I am merely giving my honest opinion.”

 

He suddenly feels an arm around his shoulder and a warmth spreading on his face. (He hopes that Ryuji would attribute it to the steam from the ramen.)

 

“Hey don’t worry I’m just messing with ya. I’m sure the owners would be thrilled to hear what ya said. Though um… speaking of uh… saying what’s your mind...”

 

“Ah… yes… to be quite honest there is something I wish to say...”

 

“I’ve uh been thinking about this… ‘bout you actually and uh...”

 

“You have been occupying my thoughts quite often and...”

 

“I think I like you!”

 

“I believe I’ve fallen in love with you.”

 

...Oh…

 

The two stare at each other as they realize what had just happened.

 

“Dude, did we confess to each other at the same time?”

 

“I… believe we did.”

 

There was a moment of silence before Ryuji burst into laughter. The blonde’s smile and laughter were rather contagious and thus it did not take long before Yusuke joined in.

 

“I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you full on laugh. It’s… it’s nice.”

 

Yusuke’s blush returned from the compliment, “Thank you...”

 

He cannot help but recall the dream that made him realize the true extent of his feelings toward Ryuji. That feeling of contentment and desire, he feels them again now though much more intensely than before.

 

Yusuke admits that he isn’t entirely sure where he and Ryuji go from here but he looks forward to finding out.


End file.
